DEP AI\. TMENT OF AMPLIFICA TION BOSTON, lVIAss. JUNE 12, 1941 DEAR SIRS: A SHORT while ago you printed a letter which presented the en- tertaining theory that there is no '-- '" such thin as a curve in base ball. I use '-- I d " .." 1 . df t le wor entertalllIng on y In e er- ence to the usually high standard of the contributions to your magazine. The fact is that, while reading this particu- lar letter, I was conscious of an almost overpovvering drowsiness. \\That finally brought me up with a start was the signature-R. "l. l\ladden. I read the whole thing over a couple of times, and I'm now reasonably certain that this is the R. "\tV. Madden I went to school with, the fellow everybody called Eggy on account of the astonishing shape of his head. 'The letter YOll published describes a visit to Flemington, :Kew Jersey, in the company of a friend who had business there. The writer says, "I went along because I had a slight, morbid inter- est in the scene of the kidnapping trial, and because I had nothing better to do ......' with myself that dar." That would be Eggy, all right. ",-\imless as it Iliay seem to the average citizen, this was prob- ably as constructive a day as the old boy ever put in. And it turned out typically, too, as the letter goes on to tell. Eggy hopped himself up with draught beer at a hotel bar in Fleming- ton, danced out onto the veranda, and promptly fell pre) to the local Char- acter, an elderly loafer who passed him- self off as a former ballplayer. It was the work of a few minutes for this clown to persuade old E ggy that there is no such thing as a curve in base ball. Now, I know little enough about baseball, except as a fan. I played it some when I was a kid, but the only testimony I can give from personal ex- perience is that I had a pretty good curve then and see no reason a grown- up who makes his living from the game shouldn't have an even better one. It's a little embarrassing to find myself ar- guing with Eggy Madden-nobody at school took the trouble-but I should like to point out that he hasn't eXplained the hook in bowling, the slice in golf, or the cut in tennis. All of these are instances of the curve of a ball in flight caused by spin applied at the moment of propulsion. It is difficult to see why the human fingers shouldn't be as cap- able of applying this spin as a racquet ::::.:;:; j\ .@ ' .;.:.;-' ."::: . :v. :.:.:-:-:. ,"":' j ::::::::r. '::::\f 71 ""'}(;::i",#t':'i"'-.:'" ::'" i,.. &ii:i": " , 1 l f,i ì T ";t " , [ ,-' A: :j:4 "clJ I; '", ì:::<; .":::; ! .. Wi )< ....l . .(-:::-:0)0 . . :';.:-:; '::::.\i fti :: t .:: . . .:: \ ';f <'1 'Ii 1'#: ::' Mi' ". Y:f ' tå ;" 'ta '>$d I \T :( > ,i,. ,# #-.': :' ;í... "..'., : 1 .:;- ."."."'" ,Ai ,.::.':. .y/.-: ""':"\ \"':::"1::: .::. .:: : r:Jjm:: .., , i:: .. D ' :{ , :: , , : , : : , : : , : , , t , : , , j:< ,: , : ; : " ,i ,, : :, : , : , f : : , : ,, % : : ", ' , ' : : x , x ,: , ::::: ,::" , ::::: >, , , , i , ; . L j mi1 :"J;'.i/ - / :.:.:.:.-::::: !r ..;- i.' '\ ,-@ r t 1, I CHOOSE YOUR CIGARETTE AS YOU DO YOUR DINNER WHEN ,"" ,. you dIne out do u btless r u . ' Your check ns H1to d II preference for fi' '. 0 ars. That ',' d > , ner thioO's_ h 11) ulge it ., , ' , b, W Y not 111 lIIler . surdJy few "". CI!larettes? For ab... M ,Penntes more " · ARtBOROS ' " I enjoy sUperb f l " / ma.de of h' . ',a vo.rfuI t b , c 01çe, rich, . ,,' 0 a CC:o S (w hi, , '" , I cigarettes' " ch chea p er cannot pas "bi IV'ory Ti *. SJ, Y afford). Pi ps -un rn "r , ' ' us acu ate I lUXurious! J:; , ' ' I . :::: , J < ß *IVORY TIPS . . . a.nd ßEA ;' PLAIN ENDS Ty TIPS (red) . ' ", ,..,,:;! " ,','" i I 'f'} (O' ", 1 :. it '- '",v \, , \ , : i\ ' > , : "' 't: ' : "